Owari no Hoshi no iDOLMSTER
by gracegrrl007
Summary: A project I'm working on that combines the iDOLM@STER characters with the songs on the album "Owari no Hoshi no LOVE SONG", written by Maeda Jun and sung by Yanagi Nagi. Originally included song lyrics, but I took them out when I posted it here. Hopefully the actual chapter will tell the story well enough. Rated T because of Killer Song and Muteki no Soldier.
1. Prologue: Owari no Hoshi no LOVE SONG

Prologue

Owari no Hoshii no LOVE SONG

"I got it!"

The cry rang throughout the 765 Pro offices, causing every idol girl to stop whatever they were doing to chase down the idol-turned-producer who'd made the cry and bother her with questions.

"Have you heard it yet?" Minase Iori was the first to ask her producer a question.

The brown-bunned glasses girl Akizuki Ritsuko looked down at her and frowned. "Of course I haven't heard it, but I hear it's good."

"Are we going to go broke by spending money like this?" Takatsuki Yayoi asked, concerned.

"It was just 500 yen," Ritsuko assured her, "since I got it on sale. So there's nothing to worry about."

"Man, I'd give my legs to write songs like Maeda Jun-san," Kikuchi Makoto sighed wistfully. "He's amazing…"

"Miki'd give her _life_ to sing like Yanagi Nagi-san," Hoshii Miki added. She gave a little hop. "Ritsuko…-san, put it in the player! Miki wants to hear it!"

"Alright, alright! But you have to clear the way! I can't get through," Ritsuko complained.

Slowly, the girls parted to allow Ritsuko to pass through to their CD player. She opened the player, opened the case, and inserted their new album, _Owari no Hoshii no Love Song_, into the CD player. Then she closed everything up again and pressed play.

The girls had been awaiting the album, with songs written by Maeda Jun and sang by Yanagi Nagi. When the album had finally been released, they'd instantly voted Ritsuko to go get it, since they figured she would have no trouble pushing and shoving to be one of the first ones to walk away with the CD. And now the first song, a pop-y, melodic, and yet incredibly sad tune, was playing on their CD player.

Ritsuko looked around at the girls, listening to the lyrics of the song. Yayoi and Haruka were sitting rather close to the player, wiping their eyes slightly as it got closer to the end.

"What a story," Haruka breathed. "It's sad, but it's a beautiful song! I wonder if the others will be just as sad."

Sure enough, almost every song on the rest of the album left some of the girls crying or at least starting to. In the second song, a boy took his girlfriend to search for Noah's Ark, but he died on the trip. The third song featured a blind man and his hired assassin. The fourth was about a lonely, ill prostitute, the fifth about an invincible soldier, and the sixth about a robot clone who fell for a boy, only to have his heart stolen by her real self.

Throughout the album the girls listened quietly, and when it finished there were requests to have certain songs re-played. Even the office clerk, Otonashi Kotori, made a request for a song she had personally loved. Then Ritsuko removed the album and placed it back in the case.

"Well, what did you guys think?" she asked. "My personal favorite was…number eleven, I think. Last Smile."

"I liked that one about the boy and girl searching for Noah's Ark," Haruka added. "Even though it made me cry a little…" She gave a nervous laugh.

"The invincible soldier one was the best!" the Futami twins, Ami and Mami, shouted. "The soldier was all like, 'hey you, girl, come learn from me,' and the girl was all like, 'you're so awesome! Teach me everything you know!'"

"I personally liked the one with the blind guy," Makoto admitted.

"My favorite was Hifukiyama no Mahoutsukai," Kotori chimed. "The magic stone one. Number ten, right?"

Ritsuko nodded. "Well…we should head on home now, OK? No more jobs so you're free to go. Be here early tomorrow for practice!"

Then it started. Just a small, low rumbling at first, and then a violent tremble. The earth shook beneath them. Objects crashed to the ground, shattering into little, tiny pieces. Some of the girls screamed. Some of them just looked frightened.

"What is going on here?" Kisaragi Chihaya demanded, clinging to her chair. "Is this…an earthquake?"

"Miki thinks the earth just got so into the songs, it wanted to dance," Miki announced, huddling in a corner with her Project Fairy group, Shijou Takane and Ganaha Hibiki. "But it's still scary. Earth, your dancing is bad. Miki wants you to stop…"

"Everyone just stay calm," Miura Azusa murmured. "I've been through many earthquakes in my life, so I know it'll be alright! Stay away from windows…Haruka-chan, don't sit in the doorframe…"

"Eh…?! But, isn't the doorframe where you're supposed to be during an earthquake?" Haruka protested.

Azusa blinked. "Maa, perhaps you're right…Ritsuko-san?"

Ritsuko was just about to answer when the building collapsed. Chunks of rocks rained down all over the room, and the sound of a girl's terrified scream echoed around the toppling walls. Then everything went black.


	2. Track 1: Owari no Sekai Kara

Track 1

_Owari no Sekai Kara_

_ "Un…w-where am I?" _Takatsuki Yayoi muttered to herself, sitting up slowly.

"Yayoi-chan…Yayoi-chan, good morning!"

Yayoi blinked and rubbed her eyes. Sitting in front of her was a young, cute-looking boy who seemed to be no older then Yayoi herself. He smiled at her.

"When you didn't wake up when I called your name earlier, I got a little frightened. But I'm glad you're up now," he said brightly.

Yayoi yawned. "Good morning…" She paused. "Um…what was your name?"

The boy frowned. "You should know that much, at least, Yayoi-chan. Didn't we grow up together?" He clicked his tongue. "That's cruel of you to forget my name. You must have hit your head. Are you hurt?"

"I think I did hit my head," Yayoi admitted. She reached up and placed a hand on her pigtailed head. "Um…it doesn't feel hurt, and I don't think I was injured too badly, but I must have forgotten…I'm sorry."

The boy shook his head. "It's alright. My name is Kato, remember?" he offered. Then he stood, holding out a hand to pull Yayoi to her feet. Yayoi smiled and took his hand.

"Kato-kun…u-uun! I'll remember that!" Yayoi promised. She felt her cheeks warm when Kato continued to hold onto her hand long after she was balanced and standing.

"Good!" he cheered. "Now, let's hurry and get you home. If you're hurt I think I can get my mom to bring you to the hospital."

"No, I'm not hurt," Yayoi insisted. "But that earthquake was pretty scary…"

"Earthquake?" Kato gazed at her quizzically. "There was no…oh! You mean the one yesterday? Yeah, that was kinda frightening."

"Yesterday?" Yayoi repeated. "So…I really did fall asleep here!"

"Yep! You sure you're not hurt?"

"Positive!"

"OK. Then, I'll walk you home."

_~*xXxXx*~_

Over the next couple of weeks, Yayoi had grown closer and closer to Kato. She learned that, in this place, wherever she was, she had been best friends with Kato for many years.

But it went beyond that, and Yayoi knew it. Whenever the ginger-headed boy stood before her, she knew she was looking at her first crush. When he spoke to her, or laughed with her, and held her hand, she found herself blushing and laughing along. Whenever they were together, the two of them were always smiling.

One day, Kato took Yayoi to a high-school down the street from their middle school and perched outside the gates. Yayoi crouched beside him.

"Don't worry, she's coming," Kato whispered to her. "That girl I told you about? She's always one of the first ones to leave…ah! Here she is!" Squinting, he pointed towards a tall, pretty high-school girl who had left the building. She walked with confidence in her step, and held her head high as she greeted her fellow classmates. Kato sighed pleasurably.

"Isn't she gorgeous?" he murmured to Yayoi. "She's the most beautiful girl in the world. Any guy would be so lucky to go out with her…"

Yayoi stiffened. "Y-you think so?" she muttered. "It's true, she's very pretty…"

"Yeah," Kato sighed. "Well, anyways…I should probably stop stalking her now." He laughed. "You think?"

Yayoi nodded absently. _He doesn't care about me that way,_ she realized. _I could have guessed, though. I've always been so useless…and I'm not half as pretty as that woman. How could I have thought…_ Her thoughts ended abruptly. A voice she didn't recognize echoed inside her head, repeating the same message over and over.

_Use your powers. Use your powers. You don't have to be afraid; if you use your powers to flee to the past…_

_ Powers?_ Confused, Yayoi turned to Kato. "Kato-kun, do I have powers?"

Kato blinked. "Well, I think you told me once that time travel ran in your family," he answered. "Maybe you do."

"You think so?" Yayoi jumped to her feet, an idea starting to form in her head. "Kato-kun, high touch!"

Laughing, Kato obliged.

_~*xXxXx*~  
_

At long last, Yayoi had discovered the secret to using her powers. She'd discussed things with her father, her grandfather, and her great grandfather, and had learned how to make the time travel work. But she had also learned that the powers were one-way; after going to the past, she would never again be able to return to the future.

Yayoi took a deep breath. _If I go to the past…then I'll be able to make Kato-kun fall for me, won't I? I think it's worth a shot. If it's for his sake… _

Summoning all her strength, she warped her way to the past.

_~*xXxXx*~_

When Yayoi opened her eyes, she was in a world exactly like the one she'd disappeared from, but from what she could see, the people were significantly younger, which could only mean one thing—she'd made it to the past.

Ecstatic, Yayoi set off to find Kato. What she found was a very young, very sad boy, sitting under a tree in the park he'd found Yayoi at the first day, and crying his eyes out. Confused, Yayoi went to him.

"Um…are you alright?" she asked soothingly. The boy looked up, and, to her surprise, Yayoi saw that it was indeed Kato. She blinked.

Kato jumped to his feet. "Please! I'm looking for someone who looks just like you, except younger…do you know anything? Do you know where I can find her?"

Yayoi opened her mouth to say something, then closed it. _What…? Why is he…_ She stared down at the younger Kato, whose eyes were gleaming with tears, and felt tears tugging at her own eyes. _For some reason, I feel like I shouldn't tell him it's me…but…he's looking for me…the me that disappeared, because…there can't be two of me in the same time period, right? So he's looking for the younger me who no longer exists…and I can't tell him it's me. What should I do?_

"I'm sorry," she said at last. "I don't know who you're talking about."

Kato forced himself to look away from her. "Well…I'm not going to give up looking, even if you say that! I'm going to find her!" he insisted. "Because that girl is my best friend! And I have to go to her!" Without another word, Kato spun on his heels and took off running. The tears spilled from Yayoi's eyes and she wished desperately to be able to return to the future and fix everything. But her powers, as she had been warned, were one-way. There was no way for her to return home, and no way for her to tell Kato that she was here.

_Stop it. I'm here, you know…_

_ ~*xXxXx*~_

"You're moving?"

Kato nodded solemnly as he sat to eat lunch with the older Yayoi, who had befriended the boy once again. But no matter how much she tried, she couldn't convince the boy to forget her younger self and bond deeply with her older self instead.

"If you were her…that'd be great," Kato murmured. "You really do look alike…"

"You can't move!" Yayoi cried. "Please, Kato-kun! You can't leave…!"

Kato stood slowly. "I'm sorry, Onee-chan," he sighed. "But it's too painful to stay here. I have to go." He paused to stare into Yayoi's eyes a little longer, then turned and headed off. Yayoi squeezed her eyes shut and let the tears flow.

_This can't be happening. This is all my fault! If I hadn't come here to the past, none of this would have happened…but I can't lose him now. I have to tell him the truth. I have to tell him…!_

"Wait!"

Reaching out with all her might, Yayoi caught hold of Kato's hand. Kato turned and looked at her.

"What?"

"It's me!" Yayoi cried, feeling the tears spill from her eyes. "I'm Takatsuki Yayoi! I'm the girl you knew! I'm your best friend!"

Kato blinked, confused. "Wait, what?"

"I used my time travel powers to get here!" Yayoi sobbed, falling to her knees. "Please, you can't go! I used my powers and I came here to find you so I could make you love me. But it was a mistake, and I know that now…please, please stay with me…!"

Kato opened his mouth to answer her, but suddenly, Yayoi felt her powers activate. She felt herself being pulled away from this place, from Kato's hand. She let out a cry of alarm and simply vanished into the air. Kato called her name as she disappeared, drawn back to the future by the same forced that had trapped her in the past.

_~*xXxXx*~_

When Yayoi opened her eyes again, she found herself in a world stained in grey. She looked down and saw a small fragment of a picture. Upon studying the picture, she realized it was a picture of Kato.

He was smiling.

He was smiling and laughing. The picture was a complete contrast to the way Yayoi had last seen him.

She smiled.

_Will I be able to laugh again in this world?_

Slowly, she let the picture fall to the ground and took a step forwards.


	3. Track 2: Futari Dake no Ark

Track 2

_Futari Dake no Ark_

_ Haruka yawned loudly. _"Wow, what an earthquake," she muttered to herself, rising slowly to her feet. "I feel so tired. I wonder where I am…?"

She felt hands close over her eyes. "Guess who...!"

Haruka placed her own hands over the hands on her eyes. "Um…Ritsuko-san?"

"Nope. Try again."

"Producer-san?"

"Wrong again! One more guess."

"Um…Takagi-shachou?"

"Wrong! It's Tategami."

The hands released her face and Haruka turned to face the boy who had been holding onto her. She blinked. Standing in front of her was a semi-tall brunette boy with sparkling green eyes and a bright smile. Haruka found herself smiling back.

"Tategami-kun…? Oh, well, I'm Amami Haruka-chan!" she introduced, and Tategami laughed.

"I know that, silly." He chuckled. "Honest, Haruka-chan. How did you not guess it was me?"

"Because…" Haruka trailed off. _He knows me?_ "I'm sorry, I'd forgotten your voice…" _Well, there's no need to make him think I don't know him. Obviously we're friends here…wherever 'here' is._

Tategami shrugged. "Don't worry about it. You'll get it next time. Hey, you know that story about that huge boat at the end of the earth?"

Haruka did not know the story, but, assuming she should, she nodded.

"Well, we're gonna go find it."

"What?" Haruka was surprised. Finding a boat hidden at the world's end seemed like a daunting task. But Tategami was grinning.

"Come on, I already know how to look for it!" he announced. "I have a map all set up and everything. It'll be fun, since we're together." He reached out and took Haruka's hands. "Right?"

Haruka blushed and smiled. "Yeah…it'll be fun!" she echoed.

_~*xXxXx*~_

Haruka sighed, gripping Tategami's hand. "Tategami-kun, where even IS this ark? I mean, isn't it just a rumor?"

"No way!" Tategami insisted. "I'm telling you, Haruka-chan. It's at the end of the earth. The world's end. We'll find it."

"You really believe that?" Haruka was usually very optimistic, but for some reason, she felt extremely apprehensive about this trip.

"I really do." Tategami looked into her eyes, and in that moment, Haruka saw into his soul. He was so naïve, really, and so optimistic.

She feared for him. He wouldn't survive. Would she even survive?

And yet, that optimism of his was so contagious. Haruka wanted to go on the trip with him. She would teach him how to survive. They would find the ark.

She believed it just as hard as he did. So she grinned at him and nodded fervently. Even if it was just a rumor, she wanted to spend that time with him.

_~*xXxXx*~_

Haruka and Tategami set out early the next morning. Tategami walked with a bounce in his step and a smile on his face. Haruka wasn't much different. They clutched hands, huge backpacks on their backs and comfortable clothes on their bodies. Together, they headed north. That was where the end of the world was. That was where the ark was.

"We will surely find it!" Tategami cheered.

"Definitely," Haruka agreed with a laugh. She just couldn't leave Tategami alone for a second, truly. That was why she agreed with him. That was why she was on this journey. She taught him everything she knew, everything she could. They journeyed at least halfway in the period of a couple of weeks. They laughed often and spoke frequently.

Haruka helped Tategami with everything she could. She taught him how to hunt, and how to sleep safely, and how to make a shelter. He learned quickly.

And so the two progressed. Haruka wondered if Tategami knew that the only reason she was there was because she cared so deeply for him.

_~*xXxXx*~_

The journey was difficult, there was no denying it. It started to get extremely cold, and Haruka doubted that the ark even existed. They had been traveling for so long, months and months, and had found nothing. Yet, Tategami still clung to that belief of his; that stubborn dream that forced Haruka to keep going, no matter how badly she wanted to turn around before it was too late.

"Wouldn't it be great if we really found it?" Haruka sighed one night. She was seated next to Tategami beneath a makeshift roof, leaning tiredly on his shoulder, clutching his hand.

"You mean, 'won't it be great when we really find it?'" he corrected. "Haruka-chan, don't doubt it. We'll find it! It's my dream, so we have to find it!"

Haruka laughed. "That's right!" she agreed. "…Tategami-kun, could…could I ask you something?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy I'm here?"

"Ecstatic," Tategami answered warmly. "I'm really glad you decided to come with me. I really do care about you a lot, Haruka-chan."

Haruka blushed. "Thank you," she murmured. "I really care about you too." _I even love you._

Together, the two laughed over the journey and Tategami's dream well into the night, when they at last settled into a deep sleep, sharing each other's warmth.

_~*xXxXx*~_

__Haruka hugged her arms, trying to keep warm. It was freezing cold, and she knew she was still far off.

And she was alone.

She sniffled and began to cry, trying to force her memories away. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't forget.

Just as she'd feared, the journey had been too much for Tategami to handle. They had run out of food. They were starving. And they were freezing. As optimistic as both travelers tried to be, the fact was that they would likely die. And die was exactly what Tategami had done.

Haruka hated to think about it. She knew his death had been painful, not just physically but emotionally as well. As he walked on, freezing more and more every second, his body wearing away, he had still had that fire in his eyes, that determination. He had wanted to keep going. He wanted to find that ark. It was his dream.

And Haruka was going to fulfill that dream for him. No matter what, even if she was starving, even if she was cold…

Even though she was alone.

She would find the ark.

She set her face into a frown, wiped her eyes, and kept going, determined to find the ark on Tategami's behalf. That was one final request she had to carry out.


	4. Track 3: Killer Song

Track 3

_Killer Song_

_"Who took the extra food?!"_

Such were the words that woke Kikuchi Makoto.

She yawned, as though she were tired, when in reality she was just confused and rather injured. About ten yards away was a crowd of people. From what Makoto could see, there were six or so large men and what appeared to be a teenaged boy in the middle. She watched them, now even more confused than she was originally.

There was a period of silence. And then, if Makoto listened close enough, she heard a quiet voice speak a name, a name she couldn't make out, but she was pretty sure it was a name.

Satisfied, the large men raised swords with an angry yell and ran off, leaving the boy sitting alone in the desert. Desperate for answers, Makoto stood on her feet and walked over to him. "Yo."

He was silent. Makoto crouched beside him.

"Who were those guys?"

He was still silent, but now he turned and looked at her. Makoto looked into his eyes. They were completely blank.

_He's blind._

"You need anything?" Makoto asked, slightly worried. The boy stood up, slowly, and took one step forwards. Makoto stood as well. "Hey, come on, don't ignore me…could you at least tell me what's going on? When did that earthquake stop? Where am I? Who are you?"

"Earthquake…?" the boy muttered, sounding just as confused as Makoto would have looked if he could see her. "There was no earthquake here."

"Liar," Makoto accused.

He snorted. "I only wish…"

"Wait, what?"

The boy looked at her. "You don't know of my gift."

"Nope. Mind explaining things?"

He smiled at her, only slightly. "My name is Kentaro. I was born blind, and in exchange, I see only the truth."

This somehow only managed to confuse Makoto even more. "So you're magical," she decided.

"Close enough," Kentaro said with a chuckle.

"Now, your next task is to explain what those men wanted with you," Makoto announced.

Kentaro frowned. "…they wanted to know who took all their extra food. They were going to kill him," he told her. Carefully, he took a step forwards, then another. Makoto took his arm to support and guide him.

"And you told them?" she gasped. "How could you tell them?!"

"You say that like I wanted this to happen," Kentaro snapped. "I'm sorry, but being beaten doesn't really appeal to me that much." He grunted in pain when Makoto accidentally stepped on his foot. She quickly moved off.

"…I'm sorry," she said quietly. "That really isn't fair at all…someone should teach those guys a lesson. Why, I'd be happy to do it myself if I knew what I was doing!"

Kentaro smiled a bit wider. "Would you, now…"

"I'm serious. I'll be like your personal bodyguard."

"You really mean that?"

"Definitely!" Makoto giggled and pumped her fist in the air. "It's settled! From now on, I'm your constant companion! Just tell me what you want me to do and I'll do it!"

Kentaro's smile was the widest it had been so far.

_~*xXxXx*~_

Makoto began to stay with Kentaro wherever he went. For a while, nothing happened that bothered them, but Makoto had a gut feeling that would change soon. She stayed by her master's side at all times, prepared to fight off anyone who threatened his safety.

And that was exactly what she sensed she would have to do when the same group of men from before asked him where the last source of water could be found. It was summer, and in this barren wasteland water was hard to come by. And yet, Kentaro had told Makoto that the only water left connected to a faraway orphanage. If these men got to that water, it could put the orphanage in danger.

The men pestered Kentaro for a long time. He remained silent for as long as possible, but after a while the men became impatient and began to strangle him. Makoto watched in fury, fingers playing with the knife by her side, but she didn't move from her place a few yards away, watching the scene unfold.

"Tell us where the water is, right now!" one of the men demanded. "We know you know where it is!"

Kentaro only coughed loudly.

"Are you going to continue to ignore us?!"

"…i-it's…over west," Kentaro spoke at last. "…not far from here is a large oak tree. If you dig…by the roots, you'll find the water."

The men smiled deviously and released his neck. He coughed violently and gasped for air. Laughing, the men gave him a hard pat on the back and sauntered off. As soon as they had left, Makoto ran to Kentaro's side.

"…just tell me what to do," she hissed. "I promise I'll make sure they never reach that orphanage. I'm trained for this, really."

"Killing is much different than simple fighting," Kentaro murmured. He reached towards his bodyguard, and Makoto tipped her cheek into his hand. He rubbed her face gently. "I want you to kill them."

"I had a feeling you'd say that." Makoto smiled slightly and let her hand wrap around the handle of her knife. Now was the time she would finally prove her skills to the boy she'd come to love. Now she would show him what his knight could do.

_~*xXxXx*~_

_ This is it._

The thought guided Makoto's steps as she slipped stealthily through the shadows, the dull knife gripped tightly in her hand. The men she targeted were laughing and sharing stories, completely oblivious to her schemes, with only a couple of lanterns to light the night. Makoto felt she would have no problem getting to them with the darkness on her side.

She waited for the right moment, poised behind a wall and ready to strike, imagining how proud Kentaro would be when she told him of how she'd killed them all in a single go.

When the time finally came, Makoto darted from behind the wall, quick as a flash, and slashed the first man she saw in the back with a cry. She felt her hands tremble slightly from the recoil of the strike, but she pushed through it and attack her victim one more time to ensure his defeat. He gasped in alarm and fell forwards, bleeding heavily out of the wound on his back. Satisfied, Makoto was about to move on to the next one when the light of the lanterns suddenly swung towards her. She yelped and shielded her eyes from the light. The next thing she knew, she was lying facedown in the dirt, held in place by two of the men. She grunted in annoyance.

"Aren't you that boy's little sidekick?" one of them taunted. "Aw, look at that. You thought you could kill us?"

"I _did_ kill one of you," Makoto replied triumphantly. She started to struggle, but it was no use. The man who had spoken to her chuckled darkly and pulled out a small knife.

"I'm gonna make sure you won't meddle anymore."

Makoto opened her mouth to speak, but what emerged was a loud cry of pain when she felt the knife slice through the tendon in her right leg. She tried again to protest and again released an injured yell when her other leg was also sliced through. The men laughed and Makoto moaned.

"Leave her here," the man who'd attacked her ordered. His companions released her and took up their lanterns. Makoto watched them walked away with blurred vision.

Sniffling loudly, she made a choked crying sound and hoisted herself up on her elbows. Slowly, one hand at a time, she crawled away towards Kentaro to deliver the news.

_So _this _is it, huh…there's no way I can run off with him now…! How am I supposed to keep him safe?_

_~*xXxXx*~_

"K-Kentaro…!"

The blind boy looked in Makoto's general direction. She crawled over to him and rested her head against his leg, crying loudly. He reached down and stroked her hair gently.

"What happened?"

"I-I got one of them." Makoto wanted to give him a bit of good news before she broke the bad news.

Kentaro's blank eyes narrowed. "And the others…?"

"They got away."

"They got away?!"

"…they…m-my legs…" Makoto broke off in a sob. "I'm sorry…I-I'm sorry! I won't be able to take you along and run away…I can't protect you…!"

"Tell me what they did."

"Th-they cut the tendons in my legs. I-I can't walk—"

"Once you've killed one person," Kentaro interrupted, a fearless look in his unseeing eyes, "killing two or three is easy."

Makoto fell silent. After a moment, she forced herself to stop crying and push past the pain. "…alright. I'll try," she murmured, rising shakily onto her legs. She wound up falling against Kentaro, who chuckled and hoisted the girl onto his lap. Makoto blushed and leaned against him happily, praising her luck that the boy she'd fallen in love with was blind and therefore couldn't see how masculine she looked.

"That's all I can ask of you," Kentaro promised. "I'll point you in the right direction."

"I'll follow you. Always."

True to his word, the enemies always came from whatever direction Kentaro pointed. And true to her word, Makoto cut them all down. Her legs still hurt and she couldn't walk properly, but through sheer willpower and stamina, she managed to kill every man or woman who threatened Kentaro's safety.

_To protect you is my only purpose in life._

_~*xXxXx*~_

"Have you heard the legend?"

One man sat at a table in an old tavern. There were two other men and a woman with him. The men nodded, but the woman cocked her head curiously.

"What legend?" she asked.

"They say there's an impregnable castle not far from here," the man began. The woman nodded in interest. "The master of the castle is blind, and his lone knight can't even walk right."

"Impregnable castle, you say?" The woman blinked. "But he's blind, and his knight can't walk."

The man laughed. "That's right. It's the love between them that's brought about such a miracle," he murmured.

The other men at the table made sounds of agreement, and the woman looked up towards the ceiling, a wistful look in her eyes.

"The love between them, huh…"

Little did they know, the castle of legend lay just outside the city gates in a barren desert. It was an old, breaking building, but it was what Makoto and Kentaro called home.

And it was their love that had brought about that miracle.


	5. Track 4: Flower Garden

_Track 4_

_ Flower Garden_

_ When Miki woke up, _she was wearing an extremely skimpy outfit and was lying in a bed in a small room. She looked at the ceiling, bewildered, then heard her stomach growl and realized she was very hungry. She moaned.

"Where is Miki?" she muttered. She looked down to see if she could find anything to give her a clue, but she found nothing…no food, no more clothes—no money.

There was, however, a small book. Curious, Miki picked it up and opened it.

It was a picture book, about flowers. Vibrantly colored flowers filled the pages, and Miki found herself grinning in childlike glee as she flipped the pages and looked at flower after flower. They were so beautiful, and she couldn't help but wish she could see some in real life.

She broke down and coughed violently, suddenly getting the feeling that she was very ill. She didn't feel herself at all, and her lungs ached. She found herself wheezing, her stomach growling to try to convince her to eat something, anything, that would make this pain go away. She moaned and flopped back onto the bed, clutching the flower-filled picture book close to her chest.

The door to her room cracked open and a man walked in, a smirk on his face and a pouch full of food in his hand. "I'm here, my precious," he purred, dangling the pouch in Miki's face. Miki's eyes grew wide and she wished she could reach out and grab it from him.

"Welcome," Miki declared, unsure of what else to do. She reached for the pouch, but the man moved it with a laugh.

"No cheating, my sweet," he chuckled. "I get my pleasuring first, you get your meal later. Remember?"

_What the… _Miki did not remember, not at all. Figuring she should, she asked, "Could you remind Miki? Miki's illness is acting up and she's very hurt."

"Simple, dear. You're all mine."

"What does—"

Miki suddenly understood. All of the man's "caring" talk, the way he dangled the pouch of food by her face but held it temptingly out of reach, the fact that he was, right now, proceeding to pull off his clothes; Miki realized what was going on.

Wherever she was, whatever this dream was all about, she was a prostitute. And if she wanted food, she needed to please her customers. She wouldn't have minded much if it were Producer or someone she actually liked who was here in front of her, but this stranger made her apprehensive. Nonetheless, she plastered a seductive smirk on her face and slowly removed her own clothes.

"Right, now Miki remembers," she murmured. "She'll be sure to deliver as advertised." _...Miki…wants to go home…_

_~*xXxXx*~  
_

Miki was lying on her bed again, her clothes again clamped tightly on her body, panting. Beside her was the pouch that had once held her meal, but she had long since devoured it. Tears spilled from her eyes, tears caused by her anger and sadness that she had to take such a path. She clutched her beloved picture book to her chest and waited.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Miki called hoarsely.

The door opened, revealing a dirty-blonde-haired boy with warm blue eyes. He entered slowly, carrying a plate of more food. Miki sat up excitedly.

"Hey there, Miki," he greeted. "I came to visit again. Look, I brought you food."

"Ah, food…! Yay!" Miki cheered. "Miki is soooo hungry…" She paused. "…w-would you like Miki to get undressed, or…"

"What are you talking about?" The boy sat beside her on the bed and passed her the plate of food. She sat up and took it, the picture book falling into her lap. "You know I'm not one of your customers. Do you not recognize me because I got a haircut?"

Miki nodded slowly, figuring she should just go with what the boy said.

"It's Fumio."

"Oh." Miki nodded again. She didn't know who Fumio was, but he was bringing her food and he liked her. That was enough for her. "Thank you for the food, nano."

"Of course." Fumio chuckled and glanced at the picture book in Miki's lap. "You're still reading that?"

"Uh-huh~!" Miki cheered. "The flowers are…so beautiful. Miki wishes she could see one for real, just once…"

"You know you're too sick for that…" Fumio sighed. "Oh, Miki…I wish I could take you outside. We could walk around. Just the two of us." He laid his hand on hers, gazing longingly at the door.

"We could," Miki assured.

"No, we couldn't," Fumio corrected. "You know you're too sick for that. You can't breathe outside air. It's too corrupted."

Miki suddenly remembered her illness and coughed violently, her lungs burning. She groaned. "…right…"

Fumio sighed. "I'm sorry, Miki," he murmured. "I want to help you, really…"

"It's alright, nano," Miki promised. She leaned tiredly on Fumio's shoulder, grateful for the company of someone who didn't visit her only for the sake of being pleasured. Fumio tilted his head against hers and clutched her hand tighter.

"…I'm sorry…"

_~*xXxXx*~_

Miki was currently munching on a loaf of sweet bread. Fumio had brought her another delicious meal after a day of doing her job. While most of the meals she got from her customers were moldy, or hard, or old, the things she got from Fumio were always fresh and delicious. She'd started to store up food from her customers, opting to eat only a bit of it and save the rest for a day Fumio didn't come (which was every other day).

He was with her again now, talking to her about current events or things that were going on in the world. He told her about outside, and the way things were.

He told her that flowers, like the ones in her book, no longer existed.

Still, Miki wanted to see a real one. She had spent so long in this dream (or perhaps it was a nightmare, save for Fumio) that she had forgotten their scent. She had forgotten what they looked like, or felt like. She had forgotten everything except what she needed to know here and what Fumio told her about outside.

"…and yesterday, there was a huge storm," Fumio was saying. "The rain poured down everywhere. It was ridiculous."

_Rain…?_

"It rained?!" Miki gasped. "Then…that means that the rain must have washed away all the bad dust in the world, right? Th-that means Miki can finally see her flowers, nano!"

"W-wait, Miki…!" Fumio instructed, but Miki had already leapt out of her seat. She was racing towards the stairs that lead to the door to the outside world. "Miki, wait! The rain won't do things like that, OK? Our world is still corrupted…you'll get hurt!"

Fumio chased after the giddy and giggling Miki. She got to the top of the stairs and flung the door open, a wide grin on her face, expecting to see fields and fields of colorful flowers.

She was badly disappointed. Just as Fumio said, all that was there was dust and debris. The skies were black with pollution, and everything was grey despite the rain. Miki gasped in shock, and a rush of the corrupted air rushed into her damaged lungs. She cried out in pain and coughed, keeled over. Fumio rushed up beside her, but she was only dimly aware of her surroundings. Everything was spinning and shutting down around her. The more depraved air she breathed in, the darker things became, until all she could see was blackness. She felt herself lose consciousness completely and collapsed into Fumio's waiting arms.

"MIKI!"

_~*xXxXx*~_

Miki had gone to the doors expecting to see the flowers she dreamed of, but she had instead been met with a disappointing sight and an onslaught of perverted air. Her lungs had been unable to handle it, and she had collapsed.

Fumio had caught her and carried her to her bed. She was lying in it now, her hands folded over he picture book as Fumio had placed them, surrounded by paper flowers. Fumio was sitting beside her now, murmuring quiet prayers and crafting the paper flowers that surrounded his lost love. He felt a tear drip down his face. Miki should have woken up by now, right? So why was she still sleeping.

Fumio glanced up at the ceiling, his face twisted with anguish and tears pouring down his cheeks. He had loved that girl. And he knew, from the way Miki's face lit up whenever he walked in, from the way she clutched his hand while she ate as though she was afraid to let him go, from the way she smile when he kissed her cheek, that she had loved him too.

He had hoped to rescue her. And now, it was too late. She was sleeping, likely forever.

_God, if you do exist, maybe one day she'll wake up._


End file.
